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The Smirnoff Ice ad features products that are said to be a waste of aluminium – such as bikes – and has a tick in a box underneath the image of an image of a can of Smirnoff Ice.
Chris Juden believes the tick-boxes could easily be altered to change the message of the ad:
"Black out the little tick and cross boxes under the images of the can and bike respectively, leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions from the statement: ‘Aluminium is a precious resource, use it wisely’.
"I don’t think there should be much doubt that an item that lasts for years and is good for many thousands of journeys uses materials more wisely than one that makes only one in its short life! But in areas inhabited by bears of very little brain, you could invite your local graffiti artists to back up the message with nice a big cross all over the can."
Over on the bulletin board of VeloVision.co.uk, ‘Syd’ suggests a simple sticker campaign:
"If ever there has been an ad campaign ripe for ‘alteration’, this is it. If someone would just go out and measure those little check boxes and post the dimensions here, then we can all go and print self adhesive labels that will reverse the tick and cross. Too easy. To each their own neighborhood, I say. Go out and subvert brothers!"
Such subversion would follow in the bike-friendly foot-steps of the Canada-based AdBusters group. The image below, and others taking potshots at Smirnoff, can be found at:
